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Subject: Bungie, what college did you go to? (advice needed lulz)

Posted by: Tookurdignity
I agree Dazarobbo that one should have great, seamless programs to have on a resume, but I was trying to get the point "Practice makes perfect" That, while it's all well and good to have a couple masterpiece programs, you won't get there by JUST making those...you have a lot of little small projects as well to perfect different areas of game programming. For instance if you have a great game made but your level crafting sucks then make a lot of mini-games with great levels so as to perfect what was a flaw in an other wise great game. I am making my tetris clone not to make a clone but to make a game where it takes boring tetris and turns it into something great, improving and making it my own.
Sorry, but I still don't agree.

The section I've underlined makes it sound as though you're attempting to come to a compromise by ignoring problems in the "great" game (which doesn't make it great if it has problems like that) and developing entirely different games (the mini-games).

That might work for you personally to gain the experience you want, but in my opinion, it shows that you're incapable of fixing a problem in a system that you've created. That may very well be the result of inexperience. For example, your code has not been properly documented so you don't know what the purpose of a function is from when you wrote it six months ago.

One other thing: Although I'm not a games student (though I have taken a couple of classes in game development), I don't like the idea of calling a game a "game" from the developer's perspective, because it's seems like a lot of people who want to create games put too much emphasis on what the game is from the player's perspective instead. What I mean by that is spending time on things like prettying-up the UI which is what the player directly interacts with (because that's all they care about), rather than focusing on say, proper allocation and use of resources.

  • 03.07.2012 4:59 AM PDT

"The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit,
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it."
-Omar Khayyám-


Posted by: dazarobbo
Posted by: Tookurdignity
I agree Dazarobbo that one should have great, seamless programs to have on a resume, but I was trying to get the point "Practice makes perfect" That, while it's all well and good to have a couple masterpiece programs, you won't get there by JUST making those...you have a lot of little small projects as well to perfect different areas of game programming. For instance if you have a great game made but your level crafting sucks then make a lot of mini-games with great levels so as to perfect what was a flaw in an other wise great game. I am making my tetris clone not to make a clone but to make a game where it takes boring tetris and turns it into something great, improving and making it my own.
Sorry, but I still don't agree.

The section I've underlined makes it sound as though you're attempting to come to a compromise by ignoring problems in the "great" game (which doesn't make it great if it has problems like that) and developing entirely different games (the mini-games).

That might work for you personally to gain the experience you want, but in my opinion, it shows that you're incapable of fixing a problem in a system that you've created. That may very well be the result of [i]inexperience.[/i]


Underline: I understand your point, what I was trying to say was that if you have problems creating levels then work on creating levels and improve your great game. I apologize if my wording is off or incomprehensible.

Italics: I disagree. If you have a problem in an OTHERWISE great game then you should work on improving your skillset to fix that problem not just scrap the game and be like "-blam!- it! New game"

I call the games I make "games" because that is what they are, and if I call them projects then it feels, to me, that I am being impersonable to the games I create. I view each game I create as my own child and I want to nuture and and watch it grow into something extraordinary. This is just my opinion though and if I come across as abrut or just arguing then I apologize as it was never my intent to do so but merely "clear the air" as it were.

  • 03.07.2012 6:38 AM PDT

Please stop complaining about the 'death of a loved one' it's my job. They probably deserved it anyways. Here's a warning, if you keep making pentagrams out of the neighbors livestock I will personally come to your house and kill everyone you love. Now leave me alone, I got to get back to work.
~M.D~

Damn wish I was good with computers to get a job at bungie. Its just not my skill set

  • 03.07.2012 7:12 AM PDT

Thanks for the advice everyone, I appreciate it. While I may be a genius, I still need to learn, and become experienced before I can do anything.

I'm pretty sure I want to be in the programming aspect, IE C#, Blitz Plus (2 days of blitz plus and I made a game where you had to collect/kill a thing that shot at you, randomly, took 3 hours and all the other kids took months to make such a thing) I seem to be pretty good at programming, because it seems to use pretty much logic.

What ways would be good to make myself stand out with programming? Design a spectatular game? Create a program with huge potential?(Sorry for delayed responses, I've been busy)

I also agree, it's not quantity that matters, but quality. If you wish to make a awesome program/game you need to focus and put all the effort you can into it, and then fix any mistakes you've made, and if you can, add to it, remove things if they're not good ideas, and essentially just improve it.
My dream, ever since I played my first zelda game when I was about 8 years old, was to help create/be on the project team of a great team of designers/developer/programmars/artists and watch my work be loves by thousands and played by thousands.

[Edited on 03.10.2012 4:58 AM PST]

  • 03.10.2012 4:30 AM PDT

"The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit,
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it."
-Omar Khayyám-


Posted by: HLG Time
I'm pretty sure I want to be in the programming aspect, IE C#, Blitz Plus (2 days of blitz plus and I made a game where you had to collect/kill a thing that shot at you, randomly, took 3 hours and all the other kids took months to make such a thing) I seem to be pretty good at programming, because it seems to use pretty much logic.

What ways would be good to make myself stand out with programming? Design a spectatular game? Create a program with huge potential?(Sorry for delayed responses, I've been busy)

I also agree, it's not quantity that matters, but quality. If you wish to make a awesome program/game you need to focus and put all the effort you can into it, and then fix any mistakes you've made, and if you can, add to it, remove things if they're not good ideas, and essentially just improve it.


I'm currently working on a rather ambitious project right now and since I am part of the creator's club on XNA I can publish my game and make a profit.

You don't have to take my route but I would say make the craziest, coolest, funnest game you can muster in your programming knowledge then test it, if something is wrong fix it, mold it, repeat. Make this game flawless and let the world see your master piece and see if anyone would want to buy it. I know of a good friend who is currently making a Marathon style game with updated graphics to make it look modern

  • 03.10.2012 4:57 AM PDT


Posted by: Tookurdignity

Posted by: HLG Time
I'm pretty sure I want to be in the programming aspect, IE C#, Blitz Plus (2 days of blitz plus and I made a game where you had to collect/kill a thing that shot at you, randomly, took 3 hours and all the other kids took months to make such a thing) I seem to be pretty good at programming, because it seems to use pretty much logic.

What ways would be good to make myself stand out with programming? Design a spectatular game? Create a program with huge potential?(Sorry for delayed responses, I've been busy)

I also agree, it's not quantity that matters, but quality. If you wish to make a awesome program/game you need to focus and put all the effort you can into it, and then fix any mistakes you've made, and if you can, add to it, remove things if they're not good ideas, and essentially just improve it.


I'm currently working on a rather ambitious project right now and since I am part of the creator's club on XNA I can publish my game and make a profit.

You don't have to take my route but I would say make the craziest, coolest, funnest game you can muster in your programming knowledge then test it, if something is wrong fix it, mold it, repeat. Make this game flawless and let the world see your master piece and see if anyone would want to buy it. I know of a good friend who is currently making a Marathon style game with updated graphics to make it look modern
I'd rather make a game that's more along the lines of fun, simple, yet tons of options, and enjoyable to any of the age groups so anyone can enjoy it.

  • 03.10.2012 5:01 AM PDT

Five years older and wiser
The fires are burning, I'm fire, never tire
Slay warriors in the forests, and on hire

Posted by: dazarobbo
One other thing: Although I'm not a games student (though I have taken a couple of classes in game development), I don't like the idea of calling a game a "game" from the developer's perspective, because it's seems like a lot of people who want to create games put too much emphasis on what the game is from the player's perspective instead. What I mean by that is spending time on things like prettying-up the UI which is what the player directly interacts with (because that's all they care about), rather than focusing on say, proper allocation and use of resources.

I think this is a great point. From a programmers view of a game you shouldn't be making stuff for fun or a nice visual game. But more as a function system. That's 1 thing I think is amazing with game programming is that there is infinite problems to be solved because you firstly have your game engine. Then gameplay mechanics.

If you want to make a games. Start small, keep building and improving over each iteration of that game like daza said.

  • 03.10.2012 5:28 AM PDT

- Dragon Ball/Z/GT and it's merchandise are awesome.
- All "abriged" parodies are hilarious.
- Humanity, as a whole, is stupid.
- I have asperger's syndrome
- This is the best used 20 seconds of your life
- Official helper to the Halo: Reach - The Armor You'll Be Wearing This Fall! Thread

Question for bungie/anybody else with expirence:

All of the affordable programs/dregrees I see are either too focused on the 2d art side, or on the coding, technical side of game design. I excel in the middle ground with 3d modelling software and tools.

Any suggestions?

  • 03.10.2012 7:36 AM PDT


Posted by: dazarobbo
Posted by: Tookurdignity
I agree Dazarobbo that one should have great, seamless programs to have on a resume, but I was trying to get the point "Practice makes perfect" That, while it's all well and good to have a couple masterpiece programs, you won't get there by JUST making those...you have a lot of little small projects as well to perfect different areas of game programming. For instance if you have a great game made but your level crafting sucks then make a lot of mini-games with great levels so as to perfect what was a flaw in an other wise great game. I am making my tetris clone not to make a clone but to make a game where it takes boring tetris and turns it into something great, improving and making it my own.
Sorry, but I still don't agree.

The section I've underlined makes it sound as though you're attempting to come to a compromise by ignoring problems in the "great" game (which doesn't make it great if it has problems like that) and developing entirely different games (the mini-games).

That might work for you personally to gain the experience you want, but in my opinion, it shows that you're incapable of fixing a problem in a system that you've created. That may very well be the result of inexperience. For example, your code has not been properly documented so you don't know what the purpose of a function is from when you wrote it six months ago.

One other thing: Although I'm not a games student (though I have taken a couple of classes in game development), I don't like the idea of calling a game a "game" from the developer's perspective, because it's seems like a lot of people who want to create games put too much emphasis on what the game is from the player's perspective instead. What I mean by that is spending time on things like prettying-up the UI which is what the player directly interacts with (because that's all they care about), rather than focusing on say, proper allocation and use of resources.


You would be amazed at how many more bugs appear in the UI that people can actually interact with then low level functions in a program.

  • 03.10.2012 4:08 PM PDT

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